Dinner for Two: The Clubhouse at Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth

Blog posts are few and far between at the moment and I apologise for that. I’ve been doing so much lately that I never actually have time to sit down at my laptop and tell you about all of the amazing things I’ve been up to! Today I’m telling you about my recent visit to Rockliffe Hall* in Hurworth, which is best known for being the home to the North East’s longest world-class golf course and its tranquil spa with impressive surroundings. Me and Adam were invited along to taste the new summer menu at The Clubhouse situated by the golf course.

After a hectic weekend of travelling up and down the country for various events, we finished a perfect weekend with a delicious three course meal at The Clubhouse. Upon arrival we were seated at a table overlooking the golf course. It was a lovely, warm and sunny evening which gave us a crystal clear view of the grounds surrounding us.

Our reservation was made for 7pm on a Sunday evening, the restaurant was quiet which further added to the tranquil experience. The Clubhouse’s summer menu is great value for money, offering 2 courses for £20 or 3 courses for £25. Ben was our host for the evening and he couldn’t have done more for us, he was the most attentive and informative server I’ve had in a long time! Whilst the summer drinks menu was in the final stages of being developed, Ben told us if there were any cocktails we wanted him and his bar staff to recreate, they would be more than happy to accommodate us.

Moving onto the main event – the food! I ordered the cheese and onion waffle which was light, thin and fluffy, perfect consistency for a starter. Served with slow roasted tomatoes on the vine and black treacle vinegar, it was the herb mascarpone that really set this dish off. Adam chose the smoked salmon scotch eggs which were his favourite part of the whole meal. Served with curried mayonnaise and caviar, he said he could have eaten a dozen of those eggs!

After much deliberation over the varied menu which included traditional British dishes such as fish and chips and bubble and squeak, we both decided to get the chargrilled minute steak served with skinny fries, green beans and tomato with a side of peppercorn sauce. What’s great about The Clubhouse is that they serve classic British dishes well with their own little twists added for good measure. Although the chargrilled steak may seem like a simple dish, it was beautifully done; I especially loved the flavour of the peppercorn sauce, it was unlike any other I’ve tasted before.

When moving onto my favourite part of any meal, I was pleased to see they had sticky toffee pudding on their dessert menu. The staff pointed out that it was one of their favourites on the menu and it definitely didn’t disappoint! The dense cake swam in a giant puddle of butterscotch sauce which tasted sensational, the scoop of vanilla ice cream helped me power through the whole thing in a matter of minutes. Adam doesn’t have a sweet tooth like me but decided to try a dessert anyway. He picked something that I would never have chosen for myself – elderflower and ginger cheesecake served with champagne sorbet and lime syrup. The combination of strong flavours worked beautifully and the sorbet was really refreshing. We loved the presentation with the shards of wafer and sprinkling of lime shavings.

After spending most of the weekend on our feet, it was great to finally sit down, relax and enjoy some down time at The Clubhouse which created the perfect setting for us. If you’re looking for somewhere that offers a varied menu that is great value for money, a five star service and beautiful surroundings, Rockliffe Hall is the one.

During the summer months from April – October, The Clubhouse is open seven days per week and food is served from 7am until 9pm with last orders at 8.30pm.